Travis County TX Court Records Search

Independent court-record guide: Public-Court-Records.us is an independent educational website. It is not Travis County, the Travis County District Clerk, Travis County Clerk, a Justice of the Peace, Austin Municipal Court, the Texas Judicial Branch, PACER, a law firm, law-enforcement agency, background-check company, or government agency. This guide explains official record-access routes and does not certify, seal, expunge, remove, or change a court record. Court information can change; verify time-sensitive information with the court maintaining the file.

Travis County Court Records Search: First Choose the Right Clerk, Not Just the Right Website

Travis County does not have one court-record custodian for every case. District-court civil, family, and felony files are maintained by the Travis County District Clerk. County Courts at Law misdemeanor, county civil, and probate records are maintained through the Travis County Clerk. Justice Courts and Austin Municipal Court operate additional case systems.

The confusing part is that both the District Clerk and County Clerk can use the Travis County Odyssey Portal. Finding the portal therefore is only step one. You must also select the correct clerk/location and understand the different historical coverage of each record set.

Travis County systems reviewed: August 30, 2026 District Clerk 2026 fee schedule checked County Clerk court-data coverage checked PACER pricing checked: August 30, 2026

The most important Travis County question: who is the record custodian?

Travis County Court Record Route Finder

Select the record you are trying to find

This tool does not collect names, birth dates, case numbers, or other personal information. It only identifies the correct official court route.

Felony case Civil / divorce Misdemeanor Probate Small claims / eviction Austin citation Appeal Federal case

Use the Travis County District Clerk.

Felony criminal records are maintained by the District Clerk. Public Odyssey information includes a Register of Actions for cases available to the public. Current online criminal coverage begins in 2008.

District Clerk Case Information & Records

Use the Travis County District Clerk.

District civil and family records—including divorce cases—are District Clerk records. Current online coverage is 2006 to present.

District Clerk Records

Use the Travis County Clerk Misdemeanor Division.

County Clerk online misdemeanor case data currently reaches back to January 1981. Some misdemeanor documents are available online.

Misdemeanor Search + Copies

Use the Travis County Clerk Probate Division.

Online probate case data currently reaches back to July 1992, while redacted online probate document images generally begin in November 2009.

Probate Search + Records

Use Travis County Justice of the Peace Judicial Records.

Justice Courts handle matters including small claims, evictions, debts, certain property disputes, traffic citations, and Class C misdemeanors.

Travis County Justice Courts

Use Austin Municipal Court when the citation was filed there.

The City’s portal searches Austin Municipal Court cases and can also provide citation and public docket information.

Austin Municipal Court Case Search

Use the Third Court of Appeals / Texas appellate system.

Travis County appeals ordinarily go to the Third Court of Appeals in Austin before any further review by the state’s highest applicable court.

Third Court of Appeals

Use PACER for federal cases.

Travis County is part of the Austin Division of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas.

Official PACER

How the Travis County Odyssey Portal actually searches cases

The Travis County Odyssey Portal is more useful when you understand its actual search syntax rather than simply typing a name and accepting the first result.

The official Travis County Odyssey user guide identifies Smart Search as the primary court-record search interface. The public can perform anonymous searches without signing in, while authorized or elevated users may receive additional access.

Basic Smart Search workflow

1. Open the Travis County Odyssey Portal.
2. Select Smart Search. Search Hearings is a separate function.
3. Enter either a record/case number or party name.
4. For a person, use the portal’s documented order: Last, First Middle Suffix.
5. Select the correct location. Depending on the record, this may mean All Locations, County Clerk, or District Clerk.
6. Use Advanced Filtering Options when the basic search is too broad.
7. Review the resulting cases. The portal can display up to 200 search results.
8. Open the case number. This opens the Case Summary.
9. Scroll through the case rather than stopping at the first screen.
10. Review Hearings and Events. The Odyssey guide states that these are displayed with the most recent entries first.
11. Use Show More or Show All when the event list is longer than the initial display.

Odyssey wildcard search: one of the most useful Travis County search features

Travis County’s Odyssey instructions specifically support the asterisk * as a wildcard.

For example, the official guide illustrates a search such as:

Smith, J*

when the researcher knows the surname but is uncertain about the exact first-name spelling.

The portal’s official instructions also state that names are not case-sensitive.

The County Clerk / District Clerk checkbox can determine whether a case number works

This is a small portal detail that can save substantial frustration.

The Travis County Clerk specifically warns that when searching its Court Data application by cause number, the County Clerk box needs to be selected.

Likewise, Odyssey’s Advanced Filtering Options allow users to narrow the search location to County Clerk, District Clerk, or other available locations.

Advanced Search can narrow Travis County Odyssey results

The official Odyssey guide identifies four useful advanced-search areas:

For case searches, Travis County’s instructions specifically identify filters such as:

• Case Type
• Case Status
• range of File Dates
• Judicial Officer

Odyssey results are capped—so broad name searches can hide the useful case

The Travis County Odyssey guide states that a maximum of 200 search results are displayed.

A broad search for a common surname can therefore be less useful than a well-filtered search.

If you get too many matches

1. Confirm the last-name spelling.
2. Add the known first name.
3. Add the middle name or initial if reliable.
4. Choose County Clerk or District Clerk if you know the custodian.
5. Use case-type filtering.
6. Add a filing-date range when known.
7. Compare the case number and party role before opening the result.

District Clerk records: felony, district civil and family

The Travis County District Clerk is the official custodian for district-court proceedings. That includes major civil and family cases as well as felony criminal proceedings.

The District Clerk’s current public records page gives an unusually important online-coverage cutoff:

District Clerk public access vs attorney access

For felony criminal cases, the District Clerk describes public Odyssey access as allowing users to view the Register of Actions—a summary of filed documents—for cases available to the public.

Attorney and qualified peace-officer access can provide additional document access after registration. Do not confuse that elevated access with what an anonymous member of the public is entitled to see.

How to read the Travis County Odyssey Case Summary

After opening a case number, the official Odyssey guide identifies the Case Summary and its related events as the core place to understand what has happened.

Newest events appear first

Travis County’s Odyssey guide states that Hearings and Events are sorted in reverse chronological order, so the most recent activity appears first.

The initial case display can show only 50 entries. Use Show More or Show All when the case contains a longer history.

County Clerk records have much deeper online historical coverage

The County Clerk’s online court-data system covers a different group of cases and has different historical starting dates.

The County Clerk says its court data is updated approximately every 24 hours and that newly filed document images can take about 72 hours to appear online.

County Clerk online document copies are unofficial

Where County Clerk document images are available online, you can print them yourself without paying the clerk for the download. Those copies bear an “unofficial copy” watermark.

If an employer, court, licensing board, apostille authority, government agency, bank, or another recipient asks for a certified document, do not substitute the free browser printout without first confirming that it is acceptable.

County Clerk copy fees: civil and misdemeanor

County Clerk fee information checked August 30, 2026. Credit-card transactions can carry the County Clerk’s published transaction fee.

County Clerk misdemeanor record searches have a unique pre-1981 rule

The County Clerk publishes separate misdemeanor search rules depending on the period requested.

The County Clerk emphasizes that its misdemeanor search covers Travis County Class A and B misdemeanors plus Class C misdemeanor cases appealed from a municipal or Justice of the Peace Court. It does not become a search of federal cases, every municipality, every Justice Court, or every Texas county.

Probate records: don’t apply the misdemeanor workflow blindly

Probate is handled through the Travis County Clerk’s Probate Division and has its own record coverage and copy options.

The County Clerk’s current probate fee information also lists exemplified/authenticated copies at $7 per document plus the cost of the copy.

Probate copy workflow

1. Search County Clerk Court Data.
2. Confirm the probate case number.
3. Check whether the redacted document image is already available online.
4. If you only need an informational copy, determine whether the unofficial online image is sufficient.
5. If a certified copy is required, contact the Probate Division.
6. Specify the exact document—for example, order, will where publicly available, probate application, inventory where accessible, or letters-related filing.
7. Ask the receiving institution whether certification, exemplification, authentication, or another process is required.

District Clerk copy fees are not identical to every County Clerk copy fee

When requesting a district-court record, use the District Clerk’s current fee schedule rather than applying County Clerk pricing automatically.

District Clerk fees checked against the fee schedule effective January 1, 2026. Credit-card payments currently carry a non-refundable 3% convenience fee with a $3 minimum.

How to request a District Clerk certified court record

1. Search the case online first.
2. Save the exact cause/case number. This can avoid a paid record search.
3. Identify the exact document. Examples include original petition, final judgment, divorce decree, dismissal, order, verdict, or another filing.
4. Confirm whether the case is Civil/Family or Felony Criminal.
5. Open the District Clerk’s Court Records Request process.
6. Select ordinary, certified, or authenticated service as actually required.
7. Verify the page count and current charge.
8. Submit online, by mail, or in person.
9. Keep the request confirmation and case number.

District Clerk physical records locations

County Clerk court-record offices are in different Austin locations

The County Clerk publishes general customer-service hours of Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Verify the individual division’s current availability before making a special trip.

Justice of the Peace records: the correct place for many small claims and eviction cases

Travis County has five Justice of the Peace precincts. JP courts handle both civil and criminal matters.

The county identifies practical JP workloads including:

• small claims;
• debt lawsuits;
• evictions;
• car-accident disputes;
• unlawful towing matters;
• certain property disputes;
• Class C misdemeanor complaints;
• traffic citations; and
• other proceedings within Justice Court jurisdiction.

Traffic ticket search across JP precincts

Travis County states that its current JP payment sites can still return traffic-ticket search results across the other JP courts. Therefore, if you do not know which precinct holds a traffic matter, you can begin from a JP search/payment page and use the result to identify the actual court.

Austin Municipal Court is a separate system

An Austin traffic or ordinance citation may belong to Austin Municipal Court, not the Travis County District Clerk, County Clerk, or Justice Court.

Austin Municipal Court currently handles lower-level offenses including traffic, city-ordinance, juvenile, and disabled-parking matters.

Search an Austin Municipal Court case

1. Open the Austin Municipal Court Search for My Case page.
2. Select the public case portal.
3. For the City’s citation workflow, have the defendant’s last name plus date of birth or driver’s-license number available when required by the official portal.
4. Review the case details and citation number.
5. Use the separate public court-docket feature when you need docket information.
6. Do not send a municipal citation into County Clerk or District Clerk records requests unless the case has actually moved to another court.

Austin Municipal Court location and hours

Municipal Court hours checked August 30, 2026. Court closures and holiday schedules can override normal hours.

Criminal court date search is different from full case research

Travis County Criminal Courts maintain a dedicated Docket Search for future court settings.

The current docket-search application can search felony and misdemeanor settings by:

• arrested person’s name;
• attorney’s name;
• state bar number;
• judge or court number; or
• case number.

Travis County also publishes future-setting docket reports sorted by attorney and by arrested person’s name.

Do not use an old court date from an article

Hearing dates can be reset, cancelled, continued, reassigned, or moved. County Clerk pages specifically warn that hearing dates and times are subject to change.

For an upcoming appearance:

1. Open the current official docket or case portal.
2. Confirm the case number.
3. Confirm the court number or judge.
4. Check the most recent hearing entry.
5. Verify again close to the scheduled appearance when timing matters.
6. Contact the responsible court if the portal information appears conflicting.

Public Information Act request vs court-record request

Travis County distinguishes an ordinary court file request from a Texas Public Information Act request.

How to verify you found the correct person

• Compare full first and last name.
• Check middle name or initial when available.
• Check suffixes.
• Confirm whether the case is County Clerk or District Clerk.
• Confirm case number.
• Confirm filing date.
• Confirm court.
• Confirm party role.
• Check attorney information where useful.
• Use date-of-birth information only where legally displayed and appropriate.
• If key facts conflict, treat the identity as unverified.

Party role decoder for Travis County searches

How to read a criminal record without turning an allegation into a conviction

What to look for after opening the case

• whether the charge was amended;
• whether individual counts were dismissed;
• plea information where public;
• conviction or acquittal where applicable;
• final judgment;
• sentence;
• later appeal;
• later orders affecting the original disposition.

Civil judgment does not automatically mean the original amount is still unpaid

A court docket can show that judgment was entered, but later events can alter the practical status.

Look for later:

• satisfaction;
• partial satisfaction;
• vacatur;
• amendment;
• appeal;
• settlement-related activity;
• execution or collection activity.

Do not publish an old judgment amount as a present debt balance without current authoritative support.

Family records require additional privacy care

District Clerk family records include proceedings such as divorce. Public case availability does not justify republishing sensitive information contained in a family file.

Do not unnecessarily reproduce:

• minor children’s names;
• school information;
• medical details;
• Social Security numbers;
• financial-account numbers;
• driver-license numbers;
• private addresses;
• confidential evaluations.

Divorce case vs certified divorce document

Appeals from Travis County: Third Court of Appeals

Travis County is within the jurisdiction of the Third Court of Appeals, headquartered in Austin. The court hears civil and criminal appeals from 24 Texas counties, including Travis County.

Search an appeal

1. Open the Third Court of Appeals website.
2. Use the court’s Find My Case / appellate search route.
3. Enter the appellate case number when known.
4. Confirm that the appeal originated from Travis County.
5. Review docket entries.
6. Open briefs, notices, orders, and opinions that are publicly accessible online.
7. Do not assume the clerk’s record or reporter’s record is publicly downloadable from the court website.

Federal Travis County cases: Western District of Texas, Austin Division

Travis County is part of the Austin Division of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas.

Federal civil and criminal cases are searched through PACER, not Travis County Odyssey.

PACER Case Locator vs Austin Division PACER

PACER pricing for Travis County federal research

Bankruptcy is federal too

A Travis County bankruptcy is not searched through County Clerk civil records or District Clerk Odyssey.

Use the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Texas and PACER.

Court records vs jail records in Travis County

Court records vs property and vital records

Travis County Clerk also maintains many records that are not court cases, including real-property records, marriage records, assumed names, and certain vital records.

What to do when the Travis County search shows no case

No-result decision path

1. Confirm the court level. District, County, JP, Municipal, appellate, and federal cases are separate.
2. Check whether you selected County Clerk or District Clerk correctly.
3. Try the documented name order: Last, First Middle Suffix.
4. Use the Odyssey wildcard when spelling is uncertain.
5. Remove unnecessary filters.
6. Search by case number if available.
7. Check the online coverage year. District Clerk civil/family begins 2006; felony begins 2008.
8. For County Clerk cases, check the relevant historical range.
9. Allow for County Clerk document-image lag. Newly filed redacted images can take roughly 72 hours to appear.
10. Check Justice Court for eviction, small-claims, or JP citation matters.
11. Check Austin Municipal Court for City of Austin citations.
12. Check the Third Court of Appeals for an appeal.
13. Check PACER for a federal case.
14. Contact the responsible clerk for older or offline records.

What to do after you find the case

The useful part of a court-record search begins after the result appears.

1. Save the exact case/cause number.
2. Confirm the clerk responsible for the record.
3. Verify the party’s role.
4. Read the most recent events first.
5. Expand the event list when needed.
6. Check upcoming hearings separately from historical hearings.
7. Review the disposition instead of relying on the original allegation.
8. Identify the exact underlying document you need.
9. Determine whether an online unofficial copy is sufficient.
10. If official proof is required, request a certified copy from the actual custodian.

Responsible-use and FCRA safeguard

Public-Court-Records.us is not a Consumer Reporting Agency and does not provide FCRA-compliant consumer reports.

This guide should not be treated as a service for:

• employment eligibility decisions;
• tenant screening;
• credit decisions;
• insurance eligibility;
• other FCRA-covered consumer decisions.

Official sources reviewed

• Travis County District Clerk — Case Information & Records
• Travis County District Clerk — Criminal Division
• Travis County District Clerk — Current Fees
• Travis County District Clerk 2026 Fee Schedule
• Travis County Clerk — Court Data
• Travis County Odyssey Portal User Guide
• Travis County Clerk — Civil Search + Copies
• Travis County Clerk — Misdemeanor Search + Copies
• Travis County Clerk — Probate Search + Records
• Travis County Clerk — Probate Fees
• Travis County Clerk — Department Locations
• Travis County Law Library — Court Records Routing Guide
• Travis County Justices of the Peace
• Travis County Criminal Docket Search
• Austin Municipal Court — Search My Case
• Austin Municipal Court — Locations and Hours
• Texas Third Court of Appeals
• Third Court of Appeals — Record Access
• U.S. District Court — Western District of Texas
• U.S. Bankruptcy Court — Western District of Texas
• PACER Pricing

Research review date: August 30, 2026. Portal interfaces, document coverage, hearing schedules, fees, clerk offices, and federal PACER pricing can change. Recheck the responsible official source whenever a deadline, court appearance, certified copy, or significant payment depends on the information.

Frequently Asked Questions About Travis County Court Records

1. What is the official Travis County court records search?

There is not one search for every Travis County court. District-court civil, family, and felony cases are maintained by the Travis County District Clerk. County misdemeanor, county civil, and probate matters are maintained by the Travis County Clerk. Both can use Travis County’s Odyssey environment, while Justice Courts, Austin Municipal Court, state appeals, and federal courts have separate systems.

2. How do I search Travis County court records by name?

For Odyssey records, open Smart Search and use the documented format Last, First Middle Suffix. Select the correct clerk/location, use Advanced Filtering Options when necessary, and use the asterisk wildcard when the exact spelling is uncertain. Verify a match using the case number, filing date, court, case type, and party role.

3. What years are available online for Travis County District Clerk cases?

The District Clerk currently states that its free online portal includes family and civil cases from 2006 to present and criminal cases from 2008 to present. An older case may therefore require a records request or in-person research rather than an online-only search.

4. How far back do Travis County Clerk court records go online?

Current County Clerk guidance lists misdemeanor case data from January 1981 to present, civil case data from June 1986 to present, and probate data from July 1992 to present. Redacted document-image coverage differs by case type, including civil images generally from December 2005 and probate images generally from November 2009.

5. Why does my Travis County case number return no result?

First confirm which clerk maintains the case. Travis County specifically warns that a County Clerk cause-number search requires the County Clerk location to be selected. Also verify the case type, online coverage year, and whether the matter actually belongs to Justice Court, Austin Municipal Court, an appellate court, or federal court.

6. How much does a certified Travis County court record cost?

For current District Clerk records, the 2026 fee schedule lists paper copies at $1 per page plus a $5 certificate-and-seal charge for certification. County Clerk civil and misdemeanor certified copies are also generally $5 per document plus $1 per page. Probate has its own published copy and authentication fees. Confirm the final charge with the actual custodian before ordering.

7. Where do I search Travis County small claims and eviction cases?

Small claims and eviction matters commonly belong to a Travis County Justice of the Peace rather than the District Clerk or County Clerk. Use Travis County’s Justice of the Peace Judicial Records route and identify the relevant precinct. Justice Courts also handle Class C criminal matters and traffic citations within their jurisdiction.

8. Where do I search Austin traffic citations?

If the citation was filed in Austin Municipal Court, use the City of Austin Municipal Court Public Portal rather than Travis County District Clerk records. The City’s case-search workflow can use identifying information such as last name and date of birth or driver’s-license information on the official municipal portal.

9. Where do Travis County appeals and federal cases go?

State appeals from Travis County ordinarily go to the Third Court of Appeals in Austin. Federal cases involving Travis County are within the Austin Division of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas and are searched through PACER. Bankruptcy is also federal and uses the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Texas.

10. Can Travis County court records be used for employment or tenant screening?

Public-Court-Records.us is not a Consumer Reporting Agency and should not be treated as an FCRA consumer-reporting service for employment, tenant, credit, insurance, or similar eligibility decisions. A court-record name match also does not prove identity, guilt, liability, or current case status without further verification.